US5893872AExpiredUtility

Method of enhancing the appearance of a body area and for manufacturing a mask for use in such method

15
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Dec 18, 1995Filed: Dec 17, 1996Granted: Apr 13, 1999
Est. expiryDec 18, 2015(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Henry Lafuente
A45D 44/22A61F 2002/5053A61F 2/0059
15
PatentIndex Score
2
Cited by
22
References
22
Claims

Abstract

A method of enhancing the appearance of a body area having wrinkles, blemishes or excess mass or having been disfigured by an injury such as a burn. A cosmetic mask having a specially sculpted body contacting surface adapted to treat a subject's distinctive bodily characteristics is formed by first forming a negative impression of the subject's targeted body area; filling the impression with a hardening material; when the hardening material has hardened, separating the impression from the hardening material, the hardening material being in the form of a mold reflecting a positive image of the body area; sculpting the mold to achieve a desired body contacting surface; and forming a mask from the mold. After the mask is formed it is applied to the body area for a time sufficient to enhance the appearance of the body area.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a body mask having a sculpted body contacting surface adapted to treat a subject's distinctive bodily characteristics, comprising: (a) forming a negative impression of the subject's targeted body area;   (b) filling said impression with a hardening material;   (c) when said hardening material has hardened, separating said impression from said hardening material, said hardening material being in the form of a mold reflecting a positive image of the body area;   (d) sculpting said mold to achieve a desired body contacting surface; and   (e) forming a mask for said mold.   
     
     
       2. The method of manufacturing a body mask according to claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises covering the body area with an alginate impression material, applying gauze to said alginate impression material, covering said alginate impression material and gauze with a plaster material to form a plastered alginate impression of the body area, and removing said plaster alginate impression from the body area. 
     
     
       3. The method of manufacturing a body mask according to claim 1, wherein said mask is formed of plastic. 
     
     
       4. The method of manufacturing a body mask according to claim 3, wherein step (e) further comprises placing said mold securely on a vacuum forming platform, heating a plastic sheet and thereafter placing said plastic sheet over said mold, pulling said plastic sheet down over said mold to completely cover said mold, allowing said plastic sheet to cool, and removing excess material from said plastic sheet and rounding off and smoothing the edges and surfaces of said plastic sheet to obtain said mask. 
     
     
       5. The method of manufacturing a body mask according to claim 4, wherein said plastic sheet comprises a clear nonporous plastic. 
     
     
       6. A method of enhancing the appearance of a body area having wrinkles, blemishes or excess mass or having been disfigured by an injury such as a burn, said method comprising: (a) forming a body mask molded from a positive image of the subject's body area, the positive image having been sculpted to reflect the desired changes in the body area to be treated;   (b) fitting said mask to the body area; and   (c) applying said mask to the body for a time sufficient to enhance the appearance of the body area, refitting said mask as necessary.   
     
     
       7. The method of enhancing the appearance of a body area according to claim 6, wherein step (a) further comprises: (i) forming a negative impression of the subject's targeted body area;   (ii) filling said impression with a hardening material;   (iii) when said hardening material has hardened, separating said impression from said hardening material, said hardening material being in the form of a mold reflecting a positive image of the body area;   (iv) sculpting said mold to achieve a desired body contacting surface; and   (v) forming said mask from said mold.   
     
     
       8. The method of enhancing the appearance of a body area according to claim 7, wherein step (i) further comprises covering the body area with an alginate impression material, applying gauze to said alginate impression material, covering said alginate impression material and gauze with a plaster material to form a plastered alginate impression of the body area, and removing said plastered alginate impression from the body area. 
     
     
       9. The method of enhancing the appearance of a body area according to claim 7, wherein said mask is formed of plastic. 
     
     
       10. The method of enhancing the appearance of a body area according to claim 9, wherein step (v) further comprises placing said mold securely on a vacuum forming platform, heating a plastic sheet and thereafter placing said plastic sheet over said mold, pulling said plastic sheet down over said mold to completely cover said mold, allowing said plastic sheet to cool, and removing excess material from said plastic sheet and rounding off and smoothing the edges and surfaces of said plastic sheet to obtain said mask. 
     
     
       11. The method of enhancing the appearance of a body area according to claim 10, wherein said plastic sheet comprises a clear nonporous plastic. 
     
     
       12. A method of using a body mask to treat an injured or disfigured body area of a subject comprising: (a) fitting a body mask to the subject's body, such mask having a sculpted body contacting surface which applies a controlled and directed pressure against the injured or disfigured body area; and   (b) applying said mask to the body for a time sufficient to promote growth of a uniform skin surface, refitting said mask as necessary.   
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12, wherein the body mask has been formed by: (i) forming a negative impression of the subject's targeted body area;   (ii) filling said impression with a hardening material;   (iii) when said hardening material has hardened, separating said impression from said hardening material, said hardening material being in the form of a mold reflecting a positive image of the body area;   (iv) sculpting said mold to achieve a desired body contacting surface; and   (v) forming a mask for said mold.   
     
     
       14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (i) further comprises covering the body area with an alginate impression material, applying gauze to said alginate impression material, covering said alginate impression material and gauze with a plaster material to form a plastered alginate impression of the body area, and removing said plaster alginate impression from the body area. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 13, wherein said mask is formed of plastic. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15, wherein step (v) further comprises placing said mold securely on a vacuum forming platform, heating a plastic sheet and thereafter placing said plastic sheet over said mold, pulling said plastic sheet down over said mold to completely cover said mold, allowing said plastic sheet to cool, and removing excess material from said plastic sheet and rounding off and smoothing the edges and surfaces of said plastic sheet to obtain said mask. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16, wherein said plastic sheet comprises a clear nonporous plastic. 
     
     
       18. A shape-retaining body mask having a sculpted body contacting surface which mask has been manufactured by the following process: (a) forming a negative impression of the subject's targeted body area;   (b) filling said impression with a hardening material;   (c) when said hardening material has hardened, separating said impression from said hardening material, said hardening material being in the form of a mold reflecting a positive image of the body area;   (d) sculpting said mold to achieve a desired body contacting surface; and   (e) forming a mask which retains a shape registering with said mold.   
     
     
       19. The body mask of claim 18, wherein step (a) further comprises covering the body area with an alginate impression material, applying gauze to said alginate impression material, covering said alginate impression material and gauze with a plaster material to form a plastered alginate impression of the body area, and removing said plaster alginate impression from the body area. 
     
     
       20. The body mask of claim 18, wherein said mask is formed of plastic. 
     
     
       21. The body mask of claim 20, wherein step (e) further comprises placing said mold securely on a vacuum forming platform, heating a plastic sheet and thereafter placing said plastic sheet over said mold, pulling said plastic sheet down over said mold to completely cover said mold, allowing said plastic sheet to cool, and removing excess material from said plastic sheet and rounding off and smoothing the edges and surfaces of said plastic sheet to obtain said mask. 
     
     
       22. The body mask of claim 21, wherein said plastic sheet comprises a clear nonporous plastic.

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US5893872A — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.